By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

The US and Mexico have signed a landmark aviation agreement, and one major carrier to the Caribbean is praising the deal.

JetBlue Airways says it is applauding the United States Department of Transportation on its recent announcement of a liberalized aviation treaty with the government of Mexico.

The agreement, which becomes effective Jan. 1, 2016, lifts longstanding limits on the number of carriers allowed to operate on any given route between the U.S. and Mexico, opening the doors for carriers to add unlimited new trans-border air service.

“On behalf of JetBlue’s 18,000 crew members, I applaud the U.S. Government for its diligence in securing a forward-thinking aviation treaty with Mexico,” said Robin Hayes, JetBlue president and CEO. “Across the globe the U.S.-led liberalization of the skies has proven to increase travel options for consumers, grow jobs and strengthen economies. JetBlue is delighted with this development which will put our airline a step closer to being able to increase service to Mexico. We look forward to working with DOT to remove the remaining barriers to entry that smaller carriers like JetBlue continue to face when expanding.”

The airline, which operates an extensive network across Latin America and the Caribbean, has served Mexico since 2006, and currently offers low-fare service to Cancún and Mexico City out of Boston, Fort-Lauderdale, New York City, and Orlando.